Means for insuring uniform pressure upon explosive charges of detonators



' D. D. HUYETT "BANS" FOR INS URINE UNIFORM PRESSURE UPON EXPLOSIVECHARGES OF DETONATORS Filed June 23. I925 lcziccccilcccE vwentozPatented on. 27, 1925.

TENT i OFFICE.

DANIEL D. HUYE'I'T; or WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, ASSIGNOB 'ro ATLAS roWDEncAMPANY; E WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A conronAr o-N or DELAWARE,

MEANS FOR INSURING lITlhTIIIiORlllII PRESSURE UPON EXPLO SIVE CHARGES-0FDETONATORS.

Application filed June 23, 1925. Serial No. 39,094.

. To all uihom it may concern: I

. Be it known that DANIEL D. HUYETT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wilmington, in the county. of New Castle and State ofDelaware, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means forInsuring Uniform Pressure upon Explosive Charges of Detonators, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for insuring uniform pressure upon theexplosive charges of detonators. H In the manufacture of detonators itis customary to deposit the explosive charge used, into a large'numberof detonator. shells or metal casings, in a single operation, andthen'remove the rack containing the charged shells'to a presswhere'pressure is applied simultaneously to all of the charges bymeans'of numerous metal punches, one of which enters theopenend of eachshell. These punches are mounted in a common press head and, with equallength punches,

all charges are thus compressed to a uniform height.

It is a well known fact that by any of the methods which may be employedcommercially, an exactly uniform weight of charge 7 cannot be depositedinto the detonator shells.

This is due to the fact that the charges are measured out by firstfilling a series of holes of the approximate cubical content desired,with the explosive used and then permitting this charge to fall into theshells. Variations in density of the explosive as well as variations inits flowing properties render it impossible to deliver charges ofexactly un'i- .form Weight. As a consequence, with the usual methods ofpressing, the under-weight charges are under-pressed while theoverweight charges are over-pressed.

The over-pressed charges may result in distorted and bulged detonatorshells and there is also the possibility of rendering the chargenon-explosive by over-compressing, as for example, dead-pressedfulminate On the other hand, underpressed charges are conducive to\ evengreater ills. The explosive charge, not being firmly pressed into a coon mass, and subsequently fall out of the open end of tends to loosen 4the detonator shell. The presence of' loose explosives in the metalcontainers, in which detonators are usually packed, constitutes a hazardin itself. Furthermorethe possibility of detonators, from which part orall press, presents many advantages. The onegreat draw back'in the useof this method A arises from leakage of the oil, water or other pressuremedium, past the pistons and onto the press points where it comes incontact with and desensatizes the fulminate.

Therefore, one of the primary objects in the present invention is toprovide a hydraulic equalizing structure, of the character indicated, bymeans of which uniform pressure may be exerted upon the explosivecharges while at the the pressure medium, to and upon the punches, willbe efiectively prevented, v

In my copending application, Serial Numsame time leakage of.

her 39,093, filed June 23, 1925, thereisdisclosed a structure designedto avoid the above named difficulties, wherein a plurality of pistonsare subjected to a uniformhydraulic pressure, said pistons in turntransmitting this pressureto the several press punches. r

In the present construction, each press point is acted uponby anexpansible element that is filled with a pressure fin receivesits-pressure fluid supply from a source common to all ments.

In the accompanyin I lustrated, partl in side elevation and partly invertical section, a portion of a press head constructed in accordancewith the invention.

The presshead comprises a cap body portion 6 and a base plate base I theheads 9, of the press points drawing, I have ilor punches 10. Pressureis exerted upon each of the press points by :afaligned, expanslble eleidand which of-the expansible element in the nature of a metallic bellows12; pressure fluid such as oil or water under ressure bein admitted to\said bellows.

ince all of t ese bellows are alike in .construction, a descri tion ofone will serve as a description of a l. The lower end ofthe bellows isembedded in and made substantially integral with a block 13. A rod 14proiecting downwardly from the underside of lock 13 bears upon the head9 6i the press point. The upper end of the expansi= le element isembedded in and made substantially integral with a block 15, the upperend of which carries an outstanding ange 16. A lead asket 17 iscompressed when a hollow aciin nut 18 is screwed into place in body 6.The nut 18, which is a retaining nut, and the block 15, are providedwith aligned openin s, 19 and 20, respectively, through whic thepressure fluid may find its way to the interior of the expansibleelement or bellows 12. The interior of the nut 18 is of angular shape sothat, by the use of a socket wrenchythis nut may be screwed into place,to force the flange 16 tightly u on t e gasket 17 A con uit 21 is formein the cap 5 and is in communication with the interior of all of thenuts 18. Thus, if fluid under pressure be admitted to the conduit 21, auniform pressure will enist inside ofall of the expansible elements 12,and consequently, the pressure exerted by the several press points orpunches will be exactly the same. This insures a uniform com ression ofthe explosive charges in the etonators under the action of the severalpunches.

While I prefer the use of hydraulic pressure to secure uniformity in'thecompression of the explosive charfges, I may employ springs'in the place0 the expansible' element's. In Fig. 2 I have illustrated a constructionwherein a. spring 25 bearsupon the head 9" of..the punch, to render saidpunch yieldable. 1 The tension of the spring may be adjusted bymanipulation of a screw "Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a plurality. of presspoints a plurality of elements having expansible walls bearing upon saidpress points and means for admitting pressure fluid from a common sourceto the interior of all ofv said elements. 1

2. The combination with a movable press head, a pluralit of presspoints,- carried thereby, a plum ity of elements having expansible wallsmounted in alignment with said press points and comprlsing portionsbearing upon-said points,-'compress1on nuts for securing said elementsin place and means for admitting pressure fluid, from a common source,to all of said elements throu h said compression nuts.

3. The combination with a press head carrying a plurality of press ointsof a metallic bellows mounted in a ignment with eachogf said presspoints and comprising an element bearin on the press point, and meansfor adrmtting pressure fluid, from a common source, to all of saidbellows.

4. A structure as necited in claim 3, in combination with apackingmeans'for each of said ,bellows, a hollow compression nut forcompressing the bellows upon said packing means and meansfor-oonducting-pressure fluid through said nuts to the interiorofthe'bellows. I I In.- .testimony whereof he. aifiizes' his signatureiDANIEL- D; a

